The Flathead Beacon won top honors among the state’s large weekly and small daily newspapers in the Montana Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest held Saturday night in Kalispell. The Beacon took home 30 total and 12 first-place awards, including the Division III Weeklies/Division I Dailies Sweepstakes, which recognizes the best newspaper in the division and is based on total points accumulated for placing in the various categories of the contest.
The Beacon won in the second-largest division in its first year of eligibility. In Division II Dailies, the largest division, the Billings Gazette received the Sam Gilluly Sweepstakes Award as the best daily newspaper in Montana. The Dillon Tribune won among Division II Weeklies and the Bigfork Eagle took top honors in Division I Weeklies.
The following is a roundup of categories in which the Beacon placed:
FIRST PLACE AWARDS
Special Section: Winter Guide
Best Column Writing: Kellyn Brown
Best Government Reporting: Dan Testa
Best Agricultural Reporting: Keriann Lynch
Best Educational Reporting: Myers Reece
Best Environmental, Natural Resource Reporting: Myers Reece
Best Lifestyle Page(s): Flathead Beacon
Best Sports Photo: Lido Vizzutti
Best Outdoor Activity Photo: Lido Vizzutti
Best On-Line News Product: Flathead Beacon
Best Small Space Advertising: Melissa Michaelis
SECOND PLACE AWARDS
Best Headline Writing: Dan Testa and Kellyn Brown
Best Justice System Reporting: Keriann Lynch, Myers Reece and Dan Testa
Best Business/Economy and Technology Reporting: Myers Reece
Best Spot News Picture: Lido Vizzutti
Best Outdoors, Nature Photo: Lido Vizzutti
General Excellence Advertising
Best Overall Design/Composition
THIRD PLACE AWARDS
Best News Graphic: Stephen Templeton
Best Feature Picture: Lido Vizzutti
Best Small Space Advertising: Stefanie Peters
Community Service
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Best Editorial Page
Best Educational Reporting: Keriann Lynch
Best Health, Fitness, Science Reporting: Myers Reece
Best Sports Event Coverage: Myers Reece
Best Sports Picture: Lido Vizzutti
Best Outdoors, Nature Photo: Lido Vizzutti
General Excellence
2008 DIVISIONAL SWEEPSTAKES AWARDS
Division I Weeklies: Bigfork Eagle
Division II Weeklies: Dillon Tribune
Division III Weeklies and Division I Dailies: Flathead Beacon
Division II Dailies: Billings Gazette